At a dinner hosted in honor of Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella outlined the company's plans to roll out low-cost internet access to 500,000 villages in India. The initiative will leverage the unused TV "white space" spectrum.
Microsoft tested a pilot program to deliver internet using this method last year, and is now working with central and state governments to bring internet access to rural regions. From Nadella:
We believe that lost-cost broad band connectivity coupled with the scale of cloud computing intelligence that can be harnessed from data can help drive creativity, efficiency and productivity across governments and businesses of all sizes.A key part of both Make in India and Digital India, bringing world class infrastructure into India, respecting India's digital security, sovereignty and privacy is a key milestone for us.
Source: The Times of India
